Tuesday, October 06, 2009

GOP: World rejects Obama! GfK/NBI poll: One year into Obama's first term, U.S. back as world's most admired nation

Back in March 2008, I wrote a piece for Salon.com discussing the tarnishing of America’s global brand after years of dismissive rhetoric and go-it-alone foreign policy, and the implications the coming presidential election held in store for America’s future as a brand:

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) – The United States is the most admired country globally thanks largely to the star power of President Barack Obama and his administration, according to a new poll.

It climbed from seventh place last year, ahead of France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Japan which completed the top five nations in the Nation Brand Index (NBI).

"What's really remarkable is that in all my years studying national reputation, I have never seen any country experience such a dramatic change in its standing as we see for the United States for 2009," said Simon Anholt, the founder of NBI, which measured the global image of 50 countries each year.

He believes that during the previous administration of George W. Bush the United States suffered in the world ranking with its unpopular foreign policies but since Obama was elected, and despite the recent economic turmoil, the country's status has risen globally.

"There is no other explanation," Anholt said in an interview, referring to the impact of Obama.

The global survey, conducted by GFK Roper Public Affairs & Media, involved 20,000 people in 20 rich and developing countries around the globe. They were asked to rate 50 nations in categories such as culture, governance, people, exports, tourism, landscape and education.

Pretty cool, eh? Meanwhile, the radical Right (e.g., the core of today's GOP) is hell-bent on celebrating American disappointment just so it can position Obama as having failed in his mission to rehabilitate our nation's international relationships. Can you imagine, by contrast, what this country would be like if those guys — led by John "Maverick" McCain and Sarah "Rogue" Palin — were in charge?

Looks like the only way the president will be able to prove his worth to these guys is if he now fixes everything else that’s broken about the country — healthcare, the economy, our infrastructure, our civil discourse — and even then, like J. Jonah Jameson and Spider-Man, the most deluded on the Right (e.g., the core of today's GOP) will likely never accept that he's succeeded.